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Welcome to Springs and Things, the podcast where two close friends spill the tea on all things Colorado Springs! From culture and community to hidden gems and neighborhood lore, we’ve got it covered. Join us as we sip our coffee (or maybe something stronger) and dive into the stories and secrets that make this city so unique. Whether you're a local or just passing through, our fun, light-hearted, and always entertaining take on the quirks, hot topics, and insider tips will keep you coming back for more. Discover what’s really happening in the Springs—beyond the mountains and parks!
He walks on a leash, plays fetch with sticks, rides in a truck, and is fully convinced he's a dog. Meet Dennis the emu, the unlikely local celebrity you've probably spotted at Garden Of The Gods, marching in a downtown parade, or just walking around town. In this episode, we hang out with Billy Sue Mitchell at her charming animal filled home to hear how a bird bought to guard the backyard ducks became a beloved Colorado Springs icon. We have some pricing facts and a whole lot of heart. Do not miss this episode.
Carly Ries:But before we dive into it, this episode is brought to you by Vanguard Aesthetics. Don't forget that sunscreen. And it's also brought to you by the Pikes Peak Library District's summer adventure program. It is still not too late to sign up. Go check them out today.
Carly Ries:More details later in the episode. Hey, everyone. I'm Carly. And I'm Lauren. We're two Colorado Springs locals who love uncovering everything that makes the city special.
Lauren Ferrara:If you're the kind of person who wants to know where to go, what's happening,
Carly Ries:and the stories behind it all, then you're in the right place. Welcome to Springs and Things, your insider's path
Lauren Ferrara:to hidden gems, local flavor,
Carly Ries:and unexpected moments that make The Springs one of a kind. From secret spots and can't miss events
Lauren Ferrara:to arts, eats, and those you've gotta hear about at Local Stories.
Carly Ries:We've got you covered.
Lauren Ferrara:So grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to fall
Carly Ries:a little more in love with Colorado Springs. Let's dive in to Springs and Things. Billy, I have known you now for what? Ten, fifteen minutes? And I just wanna be friends with you, and I wanna hang out at your house with all of your animals.
Carly Ries:And I you live in just the I I keep saying the word charming. It's just the perfect place for these animals because Dennis has a lot of brothers and sisters roaming around the yard. Let's you paint the picture of where we're sitting right now?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Well, my backyard. This is oh, this is their paddock. So this is their section of our yard. He he can go over to that side over there too. We have, blackberries, growing, but right now this is where he hangs out.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:These are the duck pond. This is the duck pond. This is Dennis' pool. So we're hanging out with our we have seven ducks and we have two chickens, and they're they're usually over there, but they come out and look around when somebody comes by.
Carly Ries:So most so you were talking about your ducks, your chickens. I was greeted at the door by two cute puppies, and you've fostered cats, you've you've fostered dogs, you've done everything. You're an animal lover. It's very clear. But most people stick with the cats or the dogs.
Carly Ries:And you got Dennis, the emu. What is the story behind behind how Dennis came into your life? And so why yeah. Why did you originally bring him home?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Yeah. Well, I bought him to guard the ducks and chickens because they're quieter than geese. My neighbor has geese and turkeys. Ducks and chickens, but they get eaten all the time. So do well, people's ducks or chickens are taken by the fox.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:We have a fox family that lives in five acres right over here. And we're all aware of him. We all know him. And it's our own fault if something gets it. You know?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I mean, what can you do? But that's why I bought him initially because they're quiet. That's the purpose of an email, a male email especially. They're a lot nicer than the females. So females are a little spicy.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:But
Carly Ries:But, yeah, he's so gentle. He greeted me when I walked in. He immediately started playing his game with me. I don't think we've interviewed more local celebrities than you and Dennis today. I told friends I was coming out here and they're like, you get to hang out with Dennis.
Carly Ries:And it was just it wasn't even like, you're doing what? It was no way. He's definitely made a name for itself, but it's because you get him out. So how did the public walk start? When did this become a thing?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Right. Well, you've met Blue. When he was younger now he's only six, but he's a great game master, so they're kind of lazy animals. He's dense. Let's just call him that.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He's dense. And long walks are not his thing anymore. But I used to walk him around this block. It's a good perfect half mile circle. So I'd do that.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And then of course, Dennis, being a burden bonded as hard as he did, wanted to come with me. I didn't have a problem with that, you know, when he was old enough to walk that distance. And so I put a little duck harness on them. They said duck harnesses. I laughed.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I couldn't believe it. That's awesome. So I put a small dog on, and it just got from small to medium to large to extra extra large. And that's what he's now now I've modified it so that, the front strap is, is buckled, under his wings or behind his wings. So it's perfect.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:So I used to take them both a lot downtown and everywhere. I would take Blue, I would take Dennis, you know, because they're like a couple. They're a pair. They're they're buddies, you know? And I one day, I took them to Garden Of The Gods, and a reporter was there with her family and took a picture.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And I don't remember how she found me because we weren't really on social media then. But somehow she did.
Carly Ries:But this wasn't long ago. This was just a few years ago, right?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Five years ago. Yeah. Well, four years ago. So that's how it kind of became a thing, it was the first interview. Because so many people had met him and seen him before that, especially on my neighbors because I walked him since he was really young here before he became mature when he looked you know, when he was five foot tall.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Exactly. Yeah. And, yeah. And I started walking when he was about four and a half foot tall at Garden Of The Gods and then Manitou Springs and then Old Colorado City. And we got invited back to events and things that are happening locally, which I love to bring them to.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:You know, I wanna support anything local. Invite me. We'll come. You know? Because Dennis enjoys it.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He loves meeting people, as you said, you know how friendly he is. So, I mean, although a kid would outdo you real quick. Oh, sure. Yeah. He's with the kid and then the dogs, then the everybody else.
Carly Ries:Were you nervous to take him out in public? I mean, outside of your neighborhood at first, or were you like, no. I trust him.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Well, I could control him because I had him on a harness. So, yeah, he is a hundred pounds, but so is my dog, and I can control my dog. You know? And with Dennis, it's a matter I'll explain. If you've ever fly fished, it is just like that.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:You don't yank. You don't lock it up. You let him hit his end, and then you bring him around in a large circle slowly and then he ends up exactly where you're standing. It is perfect if you know how to do it.
Carly Ries:So Dennis started getting attention, you said, right after that first interview. But when did he become Dennis? When did, like, the celebrity aspect start?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:When he got lost. He got lost. He got lost up the street here when I was walking him where you get to that circle there. So I was walking him and I accidentally let go of his leash. It was my fault.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And it's a retractable, so it went. And he took off because he has about five dog friends that live in this neighborhood and some people friends. So he'll I I knew he was gonna be in the circle somewhere. But unfortunately, at some point, he ran between some of this property and ended up in the five acres over here. And ultimately, I didn't know where he had ended up.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I was just like anywhere around the Amazon warehouse he could be because they run 35 miles an hour. Yeah. Yeah. I had to come back to get the truck because I'm like, Okay, well, other Well, there's twice he got lost because our fence was left open or something that we've fixed that. Then somebody calls the police.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I usually call them first and say, Hey, if somebody says there's a big, huge bird in their yard, it's mine. And within ten minutes. But this time nobody called. And that really scared me. But ultimately, he was gone for over twenty four hours.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And the funny thing is my friend of oh my god. Since we had babies together, we're both grandmas, okay, from my college days, has a German Shepherd that knew when he was a baby because her dog, Jet, was a baby, a little German shepherd. And so they were friends before. And they have been you know, she's come over with him a few times since. And she is the one that suggested we get emu feathers, let them smell it and let's go try.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And I thought, Oh, I didn't know German shepherds did that. I thought that was really kind of a bloodhound sort of thing. No, within twenty minutes, she found him.
Carly Ries:Where was he?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He was in the five acres trapped in all of the gear behind a fence behind a tree. Nobody could find it.
Carly Ries:He just blended in so well?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He blends in so perfectly. That's what he moves are, a lump of twigs.
Carly Ries:Oh, god. He's probably so scared too
Billie-Sue Mitchell:to Oh be my god. He was trapped so tight, my husband had to cut his leash in three different spots. Now luckily, he doesn't have the kind of skin we do. He was unharmed other than his feelings. He didn't even go near the fence that we the gate that we used to access the outside for a long time, until I was standing there and would bring him through.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:It really shook him up. Really did. So sad. But he has a tracker now. So yeah, that's the one- Is that
Carly Ries:what's on his ankle?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Yeah. That's what's on his ankle. Yeah. People ask me if it's a low jack or if he's on house arrest. Well, you know, we all have our back, you know, our history.
Carly Ries:Oh, and here he is. He's coming to say hi to us right now. Okay, so Dennis has been spotted all over. We the last time I saw him was at the Saint Patty's Day scavenger hunt downtown with all the hits
Billie-Sue Mitchell:that you
Carly Ries:got from Tony's.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Wasn't that fun?
Carly Ries:It was so fun. And it was before I do. That's actually what spurred like, my gosh, we have to go interview these guys. He's been an old car out of city, manatee, security wide field. I mean, you name it.
Carly Ries:Does he have a favorite spot? Are there places he absolutely refuses to go?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I have not found a place he absolutely refuses to go. Not yet. And he gives me a lot of body language. I mean, when you're that close to an animal, I mean, I'm usually very close hugging him. I can feel when he's ready to move along.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I can feel when he's ready to sit down and have more attention, which is the more common thing. So when he lays down in front of a group of people, it means, Come on, please, everybody pet me at same He's extroverted. Oh my God, he's an extroverted. Yeah. I So haven't found any place that he doesn't want to go, but the schools, he's really excited because he can hear really well.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:So he can hear children's voices. Oh yeah. He got distressed once when we were at Garden Of The Gods and there's a location where you can't quite see where people are. And he heard a kid crying. Like, well, you know kids, probably a two year old or something.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:But he took me up that path for the first time. I didn't even know he could do stairs. Surprise. He took me right up the stairs, a lot of steps there, you know, right up to go see what was going on. And by then the child was fine, but, yeah, he's very in tune to emotions.
Carly Ries:Sounds very empathetic. Yeah.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:It's I don't even know how to describe it. I've never had an animal like this before.
Carly Ries:That's incredible. Okay. Let's take a quick break to talk about some of our amazing sponsors. You guys, I cannot believe it is almost the end of June and the Pikes Peak Library District is about to wrap up their first month of the summer adventure program of 2026. If you haven't signed up yet, you have to.
Carly Ries:It is so fun. Registration is still open, there's plenty of adventure ahead. In fact, here's what's coming up this week for every age group. I mean, Dino Odell for kids ages zero to 12 is coming. With this you can travel back in time five hundred and fifty million years with Dino Odell.
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Carly Ries:You can wear white or neon to really light up the room. No registration is required, you guys. How fun does this sound? So fun. And then for us adults, because, yes, again, adults can participate in the summer adventure program.
Carly Ries:They have, like, a DIY coaster quartet that I wanna do this week. The crafts that they have are so fun. You can get craft. You make a set of four unique coasters to take home. I kind of want to do it because I think they're perfect for small gifts.
Carly Ries:All supplies are provided. Registration for this one is required, so sign up. But the adventures keep coming. July is filled with them as well. So don't wait.
Carly Ries:Sign up online or visit your local Pikes Peak Library District branch. And you can check everything out at ppld.org/summer. So do not wait. There's so much going on. Alright, guys, so real talk.
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Carly Ries:Well, speaking of the schools and the kids, we were talking offline about how kids come up can come up with the funniest questions. I mean, there's a reason kids say the darnest thing
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Oh, they do.
Carly Ries:Exist. But I'm sure you get so many questions about him. So what are some of those questions? What is misunderstood about emus? I mean, let's do an FAQ
Billie-Sue Mitchell:section. Yeah. First question I almost always get, is it an ostrich? Because that's that's the majority, like 80 or 90% is it an ostrich.
Carly Ries:Okay. So what are some other ones? I mean, we've been talking about he's friendly. We've talked about his speed. What what else?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Well, what people call him, so like he's been called a camel twice, which really blew my mind because in the same month, in the same month, it blew my mind. But he gets a a lot or does he spit? And I say, he has no saliva or that's a llama. Usually I'll say, That's a llama. You know, that spit or an alpaca or something like that.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Yeah, yeah. But I got a penguin from a grown man downtown. He literally ran up to me and said, Is that a penguin? And I said, No, sir. It's an emu.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And he said, Oh, I thought so. And he ran off. And that memory was so innocent and sweet, but it was so surprising.
Carly Ries:What? A giant penguin?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:A super penguin? No. Well, like angler penguins, the males are the ones that sit on the eggs and raise the babies, like seahorses. So that's what makes them very unique and that's what makes the difference between the males and the females so vastly different. The females are not like this at all.
Carly Ries:They're not kind. You were saying they're not as nice.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:No. They're spicy, spicy. Especially after puberty and especially during breeding season and a lot of it just-
Carly Ries:So kind of like humans. Yeah. Unfortunately,
Billie-Sue Mitchell:he has to sit on the eggs for two months and raise the babies for a year to a year and a half. So she does everything. The female just lays her eggs kind of willy nilly ish and he'll pull them into the nest. Interesting. And then
Carly Ries:he sits on the nest for
Billie-Sue Mitchell:two months. They can lose half their body weight. They don't need but once or twice to urinate and drink. Don't eat.
Carly Ries:It's got very
Billie-Sue Mitchell:hard on their bodies, but they're the best dads ever.
Carly Ries:Yeah. It sounds like it. Oh, I just love them so much. So one of the questions we were talking before we we press record, that people often ask if he could be a therapy animal. Yes.
Carly Ries:Can he get on planes or go to hospitals? Right. What's your response to that?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Right. Planes boggles me because I just don't I guess he physically could. He's taken an elevator before. He must have will go into a bathroom stall with me when I need him. Yeah, because I'm the only one that can really Who am I gonna get Yeah, But he comes along with me everywhere I go.
Carly Ries:How does he come along with you?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I have a truck. So his truck, it's a dual tab, and we took the back seats out. We have a rubber tray with a rubber mat on top of that because you can't potty train him, so I can just pull the rubber mat out and spray it off. And then a big dog barrier. It's one of those net barriers.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:It has a space about two inches that he can get his head through. And so when I'm driving, sometimes he's just like right there and just just hanging out and visiting. He used to jump into the front seat. You know, you learn and then you modify. You know?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He hops right in and out. There's he likes to look out the window. I cut the window for him. So traveling with him is actually easy. I don't even have to coax him in or out.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He just hops in and out.
Carly Ries:Well, he's not a therapy animal. Is he considered an exotic animal? Do you need a permit or anything for Yeah. Any of
Billie-Sue Mitchell:That's a very common question. But I explained he's barn fowl, which would be a chicken or a duck or a quail or some other barn fowl. They are used to guard your livestock And that's their main purpose. Or meat, which is I understand that. It is a lean red steak.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And it's a I haven't tried it. I'm just saying that that's the purpose. But his sole purpose is to still guard my livestock from predators. We have that fox that has gotten three of my birds before.
Carly Ries:Wow. Yeah. Yeah. So are there any other misconceptions that we haven't talked about that you've
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Yeah. It's bit back and Okay. You're fine. I don't know. He gonna kick?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Is he gonna claw me? Does he kick backwards? They can't kick backwards. But they can walk backwards. Interesting.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Although Australia has stated numerous trying times, and the San Diego Zoo still states they cannot. I can prove it right now. He'll walk backwards.
Carly Ries:That's interesting.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:But anyway, people that have them are like, what are you talking about? Mine doesn't help. I contact Cheyenne Zoo to say, Do you stand by that or do yours walk backwards or is mine weird? Hopefully. No, I walk backwards too.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:That's actually why they're on the Australian flag with the kangaroo because they don't walk backwards. That means they don't back down.
Carly Ries:Oh, that's cool. But
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I don't wanna educate them on that. Yeah. But that's that's he's purring again.
Carly Ries:He is. That means he's happy, you said. Well, you've reportedly said he and he and Blue are buddies, but he also thinks he's a dog. Right? So what are some of the funniest, most dog like things?
Carly Ries:I mean, he's not barking right now. He's purring.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Thank goodness. Right? He's he's our neighborhood guard. But what
Carly Ries:else does he do?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:They oh, pick and fetch. That's
Carly Ries:Are you serious? Yeah.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:There's a bunch of sticks right over there. And if I pick it up and throw it, my dog will immediately go after it. And then Dennis will also run after it.
Carly Ries:Will he choose after tennis balls or just sticks? Just sticks.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Okay. Yeah. I don't know why it's no other ball. Yeah. Well, Blue doesn't want a ball either.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Noodle, the little one, she's all about the ball. Blue wants to take that branch and break it in half. I mean, he's gotta he just loves to chew up the wood. He'll get he'll let you throw it, but then at some point, he's it's it's little bits of butt. Thank goodness we have a lot of broken branches that he gets.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:But we'll throw the stick and Dennis will run to it. If he's there first, he'll stare at it. You can see his neck, how it arches, and he'll take his head and he'll just look at it. And then Blue will come and get it and he'll just get up and he'll run wherever I'm at. They'll both run back to me.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Walking on a leash, obviously. I guess that's the more obvious thing. And I have a lot of people that want to learn how to do it and Dennis, to my knowledge at this point, is the only one doing this after puberty, after they become mature. There are people that walk just like I did with the little duck one when they're little and that's less of a problem. When they get a couple of feet tall, it's a bigger problem, but they're still cuddly with you.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:You know? They still they bond. They're they're incredibly bonding birds. So they'll they'll stay with you. But the whole hardest thing is they don't like to be picked up.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Good luck. Yeah.
Carly Ries:Do you even do that?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He was little, because I live in this bi level, when he was little, I carried him up and downstairs because he slept right next to me all night. Oh, I was going to tell you that. Yeah. Because I had my spine fuse, so I wasn't working. So I had twenty four seven with him.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And so he slept in a little soft sided dog kennel right next to me at night. Something like that. Know?
Carly Ries:We're not telling everybody that.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He's a penguin, though. He's so adorable.
Carly Ries:Which he doesn't now.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Not now. He tops at six three when they as they measure up an emu. So measure an emu is measured by their total stand up height. Now he walks, like he is right now, but when he stands up all the way, mostly Oh, well, every morning he'll do that because he shows off how big and strong he He'll run, run, run, run, run, then run right up to me and stand as tall as he can and look at me and then run, run, run, run, run.
Carly Ries:I he just has so much personality, which kind of brings me back to, we're talking about the whole emotional support animal and just how empathetic he is. But how has he changed your life emotionally? I mean, people always feel connections with their dogs or their kitties Yeah. And Tell me about how he's changed.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:You know what? So because of him, I created some social media accounts that I wouldn't have before, but you know. Gosh, the most amazing thing are the stories that people share with me and how he brings them happiness, you know? And I had gone through a pretty bad depression after my brother died in a motorcycle accident.
Carly Ries:That's so great.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:You. Yeah. It was tragic because it was so sudden. And he was little then. But when I started taking him out was months after I had that news, so it took a long time.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And then one day I took him to Garden Of The Gods and I figured, you know, if he makes me happy, I need to share that. And it made me happy that it was making other people happy. And so it really just seeing other people smile can just heal you so much. And that is like, people if if you can make somebody happy, I'll do this for the rest of my life. I wish I could.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:You know? But he spreads so much joy, and I get to be a witness to that. Like, I get to I was so lucky I get to be his caretaker because I get to hear all of that. It's a 100% him. Anybody would have done what I did.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:You know? I mean, if you wanna bring your pet I know it's a little weird, but, you know, it'd be weird. Weird is more fun.
Carly Ries:Yeah. What a fascinating and unique perspective on the world that you get to see. Correct me if I'm wrong, but do you typically just see the good in people now?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Oh, yeah. I mean, he has some haters that I've crossed, and it's usually because they think he's a cassowary and out to kill people. I had an Australian guy run out of a restaurant and say, That is ignorant. And it really cussed me out. And I was so shocked because it was mostly our locals down in Manitou around him that know him so well that they could bring their kids around him, you know?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And everybody would feel like, oh, are you talking about him? You know? But every once in a while, I'll run into something. That is so rare. It is so rare.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:It is almost, you know, 99.9% of the time, they say thank you. Thank you. You made my day. You made
Carly Ries:my
Billie-Sue Mitchell:vacation because when I'm walking we're a very touristy area. Garden Of Gods is one of the biggest tourist locations down here, you know, in Colorado. You can come here. I meet people from all over the world and during every season, because every season it's the opposite in Australia or other places of the world, you see. So there's always so many different people and they're fascinated and they get their pictures taken and they get their questions answered.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:And to hear them say, you know, my kids will remember this forever. So cool. Like taking them to school, they'll remember this forever. You know?
Carly Ries:Well, speaking of making people's day, he has some appearances coming up. And so let's talk about our picks of the week. What do you have coming up? Yes. And Dennis will be at these places.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Yes. Not this Saturday. Next Saturday is the Donkey Derby Days in Cripple Creek. It's a three day event, but we'll be there Saturday for the parade.
Carly Ries:And that's actually this, the weekend that this will air. This will air, and
Billie-Sue Mitchell:then it'll be that weekend.
Carly Ries:So it's perfect timing.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Yay. And that is fun. There's food trucks. There's donkeys racing down I mean, what can you ask? If you wanna be weird, go there.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:You know, donkeys running and racing each other.
Carly Ries:They do kick backwards. They do kick backwards. Well, that
Billie-Sue Mitchell:was an option. You could get a donkey, a goose, or an emu, and I'm like, No. Thank you. I'll just get the Yeah. Yeah.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Exactly. So there's that. And then there's the July 4 after that. And July 4, the biggest parade, the biggest event in this part of the South Of Denver is Monuments Parade. And I don't know how many people know that.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:I discovered that it is massive. It is miles long. It's probably like two miles long. So he'll be doing that. And then he has after that, he has oh, Bronch Day.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Okay. So in Green Mountain Falls, they have the Bronch Day Festival. And it's a country festival. They have food trucks. They have art.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:It's all around the lake there. So it's a beautiful shady location. And they have a cute parade, and he'll be in that one too. So, yeah, any kind of local parade he's in. He's in Carnival.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Last year, was the jester. At least
Carly Ries:we're the Saint Patty's Day parade Yep. Too,
Billie-Sue Mitchell:Parade that year. And then there's the Emma Crawford coffin races.
Carly Ries:Oh gosh. So, yeah, he's
Billie-Sue Mitchell:in that parade every year too.
Carly Ries:Isn't busy?
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He does and it's a lot of fun. You know? It's just so much fun. It blows my mind that he's like, Okay, I'll just walk from here to the end of that mile road. And although he would love to have everybody pet him, he's so good about it.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:He'll just get to the end and then he's like, I know I'm gonna get there. And so I probably will pet him and then he's happy. Then And before the parade, you know, everybody gets him attention and he's happy. So as long
Carly Ries:as you're petting him, they're giving you attention.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:That's He's the happiest bird ever.
Carly Ries:I I just know we're gonna end this recording and I'm gonna have to email you right after and be like, okay, I have this question. I have this question. Oh, There's just so many things I wanna know, but I have so loved this episode, and I so appreciate you opening your home up to me to do this because this is so fun. He is so cool. You're so cool.
Carly Ries:Thank you so much for coming on the show.
Billie-Sue Mitchell:So welcome. It's been a joy having you here.
Carly Ries:Listeners, thank you so much for tuning in. As always, leave that five star review. It helps us spread the word to other Colorado Springs locals. Subscribe to our show on Apple or Spotify, and share this episode with a friend. We'll see you next week on Springs and Things.